Vehicle tower



H. J. TRpcHE 3,108,655

VEHICLE TOWER Filed Sept. 16, 1958 Oct. 29, 1963 6E A so sa 4 5 1 INVENToR.

H ERMAN J. TRocHe BY 2da, 72m of M2536...

ATToRNP/ United States Patent O 3,108,655 VEHICLE TOWER Herman J. Troche, Fairview Park, (litio, assigner to i. H. lglan Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Filed Sept. 16, 1958, Ser. No. '76i,369 3 Claims. (Cl. 182-2) This invention relates to a mobile aerial tower having pivotally interconnected articulated tower sections earrying a work platform at the outer extremity thereof which may be elevated to a plurality of overhead posi* tions.

One `of the more common uses of aerial towers of the type indicated is to provide access to traflic lights, street lamps, overhead power lines, and similar objects for installation, maintenance and repair thereof. ln such use, high voltage electricity is often encountered, which effectuates a hazardous condition for personnel on the work platform, in that the tower provides the conducting means through which the electricity may tend to ground itself.

An object :of the invention is to provide a mobile aerial tower of the type indicated, which may be used with comparative safety around high voltage power lines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mobile aerial tower affording protection from electrical shock to the :operato-r on the work platform thereof.

Briefly, the foregoing objects are accomplished by the provision of a mobile aerial tower having a pair of tower sections pivotally coupled together in end-to-end relation through an articulated connection. The lower section is pivotally secured to a supporting mast for rotation in a vertical plane, the mast being rotatable in a horizontal plane. The free end of the upper tower section pivotally supports one or more work platforms. The sections contain a system of interconnected drums and cables which coact between the mast, the articulated connection, and the work platform and are adapted to dispose the work platform in any one of a plurality of overhead positions. At least a portion of the upper tower section is constructed of a material which provides an effective insulation against the ilow of electrical energy. Additionally, the control cables and the leveling cables within the upper section have electrical 'insulators interposed thereon to prevent the flow of electrical energy through the cables. With this construction, the work platform -is effectively insulated from the ground thereby aording protection from electrical shock to an operator on the work platform.

yOther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in con junction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of a util-ity truck ernploying an aerial tower constructed in accordance with the invention and showing in dot-dash lines some of the positions the tower and the associated work platform may be disposed in;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial side elevational view of the upper portion of the upper tower `section shown in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a partial top sectional view of the tower section shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 -is an enl-arged view taken along the line 42H4' of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view taken along the line 5-5 of HG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the cable insulator connections shown in FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a wheeled utility vehicle 1t) having a truck body forming a base All, which carries a vertical mast or pedestal 12, the upper portion 14 of which is rotatable in a horizontal plane through lddifi Patented ct. 29, 1963 lee 360, and supports a collapsible or articulated tower assembly lat its upper extremity. Such tower assembly, in the present instance, includes a pair of hollow tower boom members or sections 15 and i6 pivotally interconnected at `one of their adjacent ends through the saddie member 17. Such pivotal connection enables the upper section 16 to be pivoted in a vertical plane relative to the lower section 15.

The tower section 16 may carry one or more of the work platforms 26l at its outer extremity. The work platforms are maintained in a level position with respect to the vehicle body 11 by means of a leveling cable and drum system, the connecting elements or leveling cables of which are disposed interiorly of the sections .15 and 16, and are identified as cables 18 in FIGS. 3 and 4. The upper section 16 is pivoted or tilted relative to the lower section l5 by means of a fluid-'actuated piston motor 2S and a coacting cable control system, the connecting elements or control cables of which are disposed interiorly of the sections I15 and 16 and are identified `as cables 211 in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The leveling cable and drum system and the cable control system are not part of this invention and therefore will not be described in detail.

The lower section l15 is tilted with respect to the mast 12 by means of a fluid-actuated double acting piston motor i12 having a cylinder anchored to the bracket 46 carried by the rotatable portion 14 of the m-ast. The piston rod 4S of the motor `4Z. is pivotally connected at its external extremity to a bracket 50 mounted substantially intermediate tlre ends of the lower section 1S.

The upper portion ld of the mast 12 is rotated in a horizontal plane by means of a two-way fluid-actuated motor 52, which is provided with a driving connection with such upper portion in a suitable manner, such as by means of the gearing 53.

Thus, controlled operation of the collapsible tower assembly to position the work platform Ztl to any desired work location is accomplished by selectively supplying operating iluid to each of the fluid motors 25, 42. and 52 through a conventional fluid piping system including iluid supply and return lines, such system not being described in detail since it forms no part of the invention.

kRetractable fluid actuated jacks S4 entend outwardly from the sides of the vehicle body 11 -to engage the ground surface and thereby anchor the vehicle body in a rigid, stationary position to insure stability during movement of the tower assembly. The jacks '5'4 may be extended and retracted in anysuitable manner, such as by duid-actuated motor units, which may be coupled to a source of operating fluid in a conventional manner. The universality of movement of the work platform 26 rel-ative to the supporting vehicle body 11 provides virtually unlimited access to any point relative to the vehicle anc within the dimensional limits of the structural members of the tower assembly.

The upper tower section y16, in the .present instance, is formed of a lower member oil and an upper membei 62, such members being secured together by any suitable means as, for example, the telescopic intertting joint shown at 63 in fFlGS. 2. and 3. ln accordance witl: the invention, the upper member 62 may be constructet of any one of a number of materials that provide ar effective insulation against the flow of electrical energy such materials being 'known as non-conducting or insulat ing materials. Of such materials, Fiberglas is unusuallj effective, not only because of its excellent electrical in sulation characteristics, but also because of its strengo and rigidity. Additionally, the leveling and control cable i8 and Z1 are insulated against the llow of electrical en ergy by the interposition of the respective electrical in sulators 68 and 71 thereon as shown in lFIGS. 3, 4 and 5 In lthe latter structure, each of the cables are completel El severed, with the insulators connecting the respective adjacent spaced cut ends in the manner shown in FIG. 6. The insulators 63 and 7l may be constructed of IFiberglas.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a mobile aerial tower comprising a pair of pivotally interconnected tower sections, it will be understood that the invention may be applied to a mobile aerial tower having only one tower section or to a tower having a plurality of such sections.

I claim:

l. A mobile aerial tower comprising a base, a tirst tower section defining a hollow arm having one end theremounted on said base for tilting movement in a vertical plane and for rotational movement in a horizontal plane, a second tower section delining a hollow arm having one end pivotally secured to the other end of sab first tower section for tilting movement in a vertical p anc, said second Itower section having a work pl tforin secured to its other end for supporting an operator, said tower being formed of primarily metallic, electrically conduct ing material to give the tower suicient strength and rigidity, and means coacting with the tower sections for disposing the work platform into any one of a plurality of positions and including connecting elongated metallic control elements disposed interiorly of and extending along the sections, said control elements intermediate the ends of said sections being disposed in spaced non-electrical conducting relation with the respective section while being in electrical conducting relation with the respective section adjacent the ends of the latter, said second section intermediate said other end of said first section and said platform having a lengthwise and circumterentially extending porion thereof constructed of a nonclectrical conducting fiberglass reinforced material providing an effective insulation against the flow of electrical energy along the tower, and which separates in insulating relation the work platform from the electrical conducting iirst tower section, said connecting elements having electrical insulators interposed therein in said second section, thereby providing complete insulating protection from electrical shock to an operator on the platform.

2. A mobile aerial tower comprising a base, a mast mounted on the base for rotation in a horizortal plane, a lirst tower section deiining a hollow arm having one end thereof mounted on the mast for tilting movement in a vertical plane, a second tower section defining a hollow arm having one end pivotally connected to the other end l of said tower section for pivotal movement in a vertical plane, a platform pivotally supported in cantilever fashion adjacent the other end of said second tower section for pivotal movement in a vertical plane and adapted to support an operator, said tower sections being formed of primarily metallic electrically conducting material to give the tower suiiicicnt strength and rigidity, control means coacting with the tower sections for disposing the platform into any one of a plurality of predetermined positions and including metallic control cables disposed interi-orly oi the tower sections and extending therealong, c. leveling cable and drum system for maintaining the platin a level position with respect -to the base, and inclnding metallic leveling cables disposed interiorly of the 1 er sections said second section includin a socket pornst the flow of electrical energy along said tower, said cables intermediate the ends of said tower sections being disposed in spaced non-electrical conducting relation with the respective section, while being in electrical conducting relation with the respective section adjacent the ends ot the latter, each of said cables in said second section having berglass reinforced, elongated, hollow electrical insulators of predetermined length interposed between and connecting spaced confronting ends of the respective cable, thereby providing complete protection from electrical shock to an operator on the work platform. 3. An aerial tower constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein said connecting elements comprise flexible cales and said electrical insulators are formed of fiberglass reinforced elongated members of predetermined length.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A MOBILE AERIAL TOWER COMPRISING A BASE, A FIRST TOWER SECTION DEFINING A HOLLOW ARM HAVING ONE END THEREOF MOUNTED ON SAID BASE FOR TILTING MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE AND FOR ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT IN A HORIZONTAL PLANE, A SECOND TOWER SECTION DEFINING A HOLLOW ARM HAVING ONE END PIVOTALLY SECURED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST TOWER SECTION FOR TILTING MOVEMENT IN A VERTICAL PLANE, SAID SECOND TOWER SECTION HAVING A WORK PLATFORM SECURED TO ITS OTHER END FOR SUPPORTING AN OPERATOR, SAID TOWER BEING FORMED OF PRIMARILY METALLIC, ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MATERIAL TO GIVE THE TOWER SUFFICIENT STRENGTH AND RIGIDITY, AND MEANS COACTING WITH THE TOWER SECTIONS FOR DISPOSING THE WORK PLATFORM INTO ANY ONE OF A PLURALITY OF POSITIONS AND INCLUDING CONNECTING ELONGATED METALLIC CONTROL ELEMENTS DISPOSED INTERIORLY OF AND EXTENDING ALONG THE SECTIONS, SAID CONTROL ELEMENTS INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS OF SAID SECTIONS BEING DISPOSED IN SPACED NON-ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING RELATION WITH THE RESPECTIVE SECTION WHILE BEING IN ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING RELATION WITH THE RESPECTIVE SECTION ADJACENT THE ENDS OF THE LATTER, SAID SECOND SECTION INTERMEDIATE SAID OTHER END OF SAID FIRST SECTION AND SAID PLATFORM HAVING A LENGTHWISE AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXTENDING PORTION THEREOF CONSTRUCTED OF A NON-ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING FIBERGLASS REINFORCED MATERIAL PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE INSULATION AGAINST THE FLOW OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY ALONG THE TOWER, AND WHICH SEPARATES IN INSULATING RELATION THE WORK PLATFORM FROM THE ELECTRICAL CONDUCTING FIRST TOWER SECTION, SAID CONNECTING ELEMENTS HAVING ELECTRICAL INSULATORS INTERPOSED THEREIN IN SAID SECOND SECTION, THEREBY PROVIDING COMPLETE INSULATING PROTECTION FROM ELECTRICAL SHOCK TO AN OPERATOR ON THE PLATFORM. 